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Looking for micro designers for 'Olympics' style card/dice game

6 replies [Last post]
Tue, 03/15/2016 - 19:23
HPS74
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Joined: 01/06/2009
Olys.jpg

OK - let's keep this short *Note - image and icons shown are for visual concept only and do not belong to me*

I obviously do 'sports' games. This year the Olympics are on in Rio.

I want to publish a 'family / group' party game on Olympic events. Dice and card. Simple and fast.

If you haven't seen, played or heard of Reiner Kniza's Decathlon, see here https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6955/reiner-knizias-decathlon

It's a fun little PnP......but I think we can do better :)

Objective:
-Include multiple sports (list below but not limited to)
-Each sport will have a card & icon/art with a die roll mechanic awarding GOLD/SILVER/BRONZE to those closest to the 'target'
-Modifiers can/may be added for certain countries that historically dominate a sport (like China for Table Tennis etc)
-Use of D4 / D6 / D10....to form creative roll targets
Example in the image:
ROWING - roll 2 x D10 to try achieve highest score
3 'HEATS' (chance to proceed to next round and roll for a higher result) Some people may be knocked out (DID NOT QUALIFY) in earlier rounds etc.

Sport
Archery
Athletics 100m / Pole Vault etc
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Canoeing and kayaking
Cycling All
Diving
Equestrian
Fencing
Football
Golf 2016
Gymnastics
Hockey (field)
Judo
Modern pentathlon
Polo
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rowing
Rugby sevens 2016
Sailing
Shooting
Swimming All
Synchronized Swimming
Table tennis
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water Polo
Weightlifting
Wrestling

I'd love this to be an open design who anyone that wants to contribute. If it does...a big IF....get to the stage of publishing, I would credit *said person* as a participating designer.

With RIO on in June...every man and his dog will be in 'sports' mode as it's played non stop on every TV in the world!

So.....anyone up for a micro challenge?? Thoughts and comments welcome.

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Tue, 03/15/2016 - 19:25
#1
HPS74
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Joined: 01/06/2009
Think minimal space too.

Think minimal space too. Cards should be dual use. Separate events on both side of 1 card etc

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Wed, 03/16/2016 - 10:14
#2
JewellGames
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Joined: 06/03/2012
Thoughts

I am interested but I have a few thoughts. Keep in mind, my suggestions are based on logistics of the game without consideration for size/weight/amount of the components which I know is a concern for your games.

One issue with having a target goal and awarding medals based on those numbers is what if no one reaches them? What if multiple players reach the same medal goal?

Shouldn't the awarded medals be based on the standings among the player scores? Like in the Diving event, if I get an 85 and you get a 79, I win the gold and you the silver?

I get that you want to use both sides of the card for each event and a TON of events to save space and component count but I feel each event should have it's own card and maybe 10-12 popular events (cards) maximum. The front side shows the event (dice/rolls/mechanics) and flipping the card to the back side indicates that the event has been completed. The back side also shows 3 medals on it.

Players place one of their assigned flags (tokens) on the medal they received. Gold medals are worth 5 points, silver medals 3 points, and bronze medals 1 point.

Having 1 event per card could also mean that you shuffle the cards during setup and the order of the cards would change each game for slight variability.

Lastly, instead of certain countries having an advantage in certain events. Players can use two different "competitive advantages" each once per game.

One is an extra reroll of 1 die and the other is rolling a bonus d4 die that directly adds to their score for whichever event they roll that die.

Players would add up their medal totals after all events have been completed.

Also, these are the newest 2016 Rio icons:

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Wed, 03/16/2016 - 12:26
#3
Corsaire
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Joined: 06/27/2013
I'd try to capture some of

I'd try to capture some of the feel of each sport in the dice rolling needed to win. Use some of the challenge types found in Tenzi and Dicecapades.

Examples:
For sprinting: first one to roll an 8 on a d8 wins; call out your medal when you roll the 8
Marathon: first to roll a 6 on a d6, 6 times wins.
Weight-lifting: Roll a d8, push your luck to roll again, make a running total, your lifting is over when you roll a 1 and you lose 4 points from the total.
Archery: Throw a d4 from two feet landing on a target on the archery card; 0 if you miss, otherwise number rolled + target ring the dice landed on.
Gymnastics: Yahtzee style, roll six d6 to get as many different numbers as possible
Pentathlon: Yahtzee style, get maximum score on 5 dice with three rolls

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Wed, 03/16/2016 - 17:29
#4
HPS74
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Joined: 01/06/2009
Thanks Gregg - and if you're

Thanks Gregg - and if you're genuine about 'getting onboard' with this, let's chat further. In response to below:

JewellGames wrote:
One issue with having a target goal and awarding medals based on those numbers is what if no one reaches them? What if multiple players reach the same medal goal?

There are many countries that compete so 'ghost' medal winners should play a part in the game. An event may only award a Bronze medal to one player, the Silver & Gold won by 'ghost' competitors. If multiple players reach the same goal, there could be several rules to resolve.

An extra round between said two competitors, the player to reach it first may win the medal, even a shared medal....all just thoughts here.

JewellGames wrote:
Shouldn't the awarded medals be based on the standings among the player scores? Like in the Diving event, if I get an 85 and you get a 79, I win the gold and you the silver?

Yes, it wasn't the best example. Rather than a range, it should be a target number. If a competitor doesn't reach the target numbers then they DNQ (did not qualify). I would prefer not to have every event giving out a mandatory 1st/2nd/3rd

JewellGames wrote:
I get that you want to use both sides of the card for each event and a TON of events to save space and component count but I feel each event should have it's own card and maybe 10-12 popular events (cards) maximum.
The front side shows the event (dice/rolls/mechanics) and flipping the card to the back side indicates that the event has been completed. The back side also shows 3 medals on it.

I like this idea. Still many events, with only 10-12max in play at one time. Good.

JewellGames wrote:
Players place one of their assigned flags (tokens) on the medal they received. Gold medals are worth 5 points, silver medals 3 points, and bronze medals 1 point.

Having 1 event per card could also mean that you shuffle the cards during setup and the order of the cards would change each game for slight variability.

Yes, I like this too. A visual recent history of events won.

JewellGames wrote:
Lastly, instead of certain countries having an advantage in certain events. Players can use two different "competitive advantages" each once per game.

This ties in with the first response, tied events or sharing a medal bracket. If countries offer certain varied 'competitive advantages'
then the game set up and who will play as which country etc, will be thematic for the game.

Ie: We all choose a country...the events and randomly drawn. I'm playing as Australia and we have two possible events we could use our 'competitive advantage' in (Swimming & BMX)....again...just spinning ideas here. Even perhaps some disadvantages....Australia are not so good in A LOT of events...and modifiers should work both ways?

In summary, I like your suggestions and they could easily work with the game. I always view a game design in component costs and how much it most likely will be to produce & the shipping cost per unit. This is why I'll always try to utilise space as much as I can :)

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Wed, 03/16/2016 - 17:33
#5
HPS74
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Joined: 01/06/2009
Thanks Corsaire for your

Thanks Corsaire for your input!

This is exactly what I'm looking for. Varied 'mechanics' to make events mini games in themselves.

The *tightwad* publisher inside me says let's keep the number of dice to a min costs wise, but so good suggestions here :)

I like the Archery one in particular. It brings in some dexterity to the game!

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Fri, 03/18/2016 - 00:00
#6
jbship628
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Joined: 08/29/2014
Different event ideas

Shooting events could be flicking dice at a row of cards, having 4 chances to hit 3 targets or something.

Break the team events into a pool play phase and an medal round phase. If playing with 4 or more, the players are divided into 2 teams and compete in the game. The winning side's players all advance into the medal round. The losers are eliminated from that event.

For instance, Volleyball. (Assuming 6 players) Players 1,4,5 are on one team, 2,3,6 on the other. The rules for Volleyball are that the serving player rolls a d20. The opposing player must meet or beat the roll. If they do, then the 2nd player on Team 1 tries to meet or beat the roll of the return and so on. The first person to NOT meet or beat the previous roll loses the point. First team to 10 points, win by 2 is the winner of pool play. (Also take note of which player was the last to roll successfully. They are given credit for the "kill")

In the medal round, either use a bracket style format for 4 (or more) players, or round robin for 3. Seed the brackets based on the number of kills earned in pool play. (Meaning if there are 5 players in the medal round, the 2 players with the lowest number of kills in the pool play meet first in the opening round, thus leading to a bracket of 4 people. Medal round games are to 5 points win by 2. (Or first to 9)

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